Planning the procedures for using technology with an entire class can set a positive tone and prevent chaos and frustration. Think about the classroom management challenges in a traditional lesson, and realize that unless you are proactive and plan to address those while the technology is in use, they may be amplified rather than eliminated. Planning procedures, communicating them to students, and consistently following them will set the stage for success.
The procedures that work in your specific classroom will depend on the students, the environment, and the type of device being used.
First, consider expectations for;
cleaning off the workspace
move water bottles
cleanliness (ex. germ-ex, sneeze in elbow, wash hands as needed)
Suggested Procedures
1. Check out the lab! This means reserving the space or equipment at the time needed and making sure that desired machines and software are available. If possible, work through everything you will ask students to do on one of the lab computers to be certain that everything will as expected. *Recognize that student devices do not have the same privileges as a teacher device. As the number of devices increases. This procedure will change. It is possible that students will have assigned computers with them or housed in the classroom and 'reserving' will not be necessary.
*Make notes of the steps and use them as a guide as you instruct students.
2. Plan to model. Have a plan for projecting and explaining the process students are expected to follow.
*Think out loud! Express what you are doing using the vocabulary the students should use. Many schools agree on common vocabulary to provide consistency.
3. Instruct students on appropriate ways to get help.It may be a raised hand is the accepted signal, but remember that when using technology students often want solutions to be offered NOW! Consider using some sort of visual clue alert when a student needs help. Ideas include colored plastic cups at each station They can be stacked to signal status - like green for no help needed, yellow for content help, and red for technology help or slips of colored paper that can be placed wherever you can most easily see them to indicate status.
*Make sure that students understand, procedures, rules, expectations, and the Acceptable Use Policy including the consequences for not following them.
*Give all students a chance to use technology.
*If technology is used correctly, it is an integral part of the lesson and not to be withheld from a child as a general behavior consequence nor as a reward for finishing early!
4. Address internet safety regularly and routinely!
Every student should know what to do when the unexpected happens. Never overreact to an accidental exposure. Eliminate the exposure immediately and then help the student navigate to the desired material.
Example: Immediately close the window and raise hand. Explain to the teacher exactly what was being searched and wait for further instruction. Do not have students describe the inappropriate material.
*Be prepared to help the student refine search terms and find appropriate sites.
5. Find a transition procedure that works! Many teachers who routinely use technology refine the transition process to 30-45 seconds.
Examples:
Consider assigning computers by student number or lining students up in the order you want them to sit in the lab.*Remember, if students cannot work together or near each other in your room, they are not likely to be able to do so productively in the computer lab either!
Pass out computers or have students pick them up from the mobile lab in an organized manner.For the youngest students, a teacher might pass out computers or have the students approach the cart to get them. Older students can follow an organized procedure for picking up or turning in a computer. Clearly communicate the procedure, including the path students should follow to and from the cart and your expectation that the computer will be held firmly with both hands while in transit. You may want to consider no more than 5 students on a side of a cart at a time
*Think about traffic flow. Minimize the need to pass each other in close proximity.
*If you will be working in groups, make group assignments and seating arrangements before distributing the computers. Moving desks with computers on them is a really bad idea. Also, remember that the ability to walk around the room without bumping desks is imperative when there are laptops on every desk!
6. Position yourself so that you can easily see what students are doing as they work (that means the computer screens) and model as necessary. You will need to be on your feet, moving around the room to offer assistance as needed. Always be aware of where you are in the room and what you can and cannot see and do from there. Adjust as necessary to maximize your ability to supervise!
*Be proactive in monitoring for academic, technical, and behavioral problems by moving around the lab as much as possible. It is the teacher's responsibility to monitor student access to computers and the internet.
7. Plan for the length of the lesson or activity. Is it a long or a short lesson?
Sometimes, when using technology, less is more. Students need time to work and finish. Using technology often takes longer and all students will not work at the same pace, nor will they require the same amount or type of help. For long lessons and activities, set some benchmarks to meet along the way to keep students focused and on task and to avoid having them wait until the last minute to get started. Give them objectives to meet as their work progresses.
*Divide the work into manageable parts and celebrate the successful completion of each step with your students.
*Have a planned procedure for slower workers to have adequate time to finish.
*Have a planned procedure for what those who finish before others should do once they have completed their work.
8. Provide rubrics, checklists, and/or samples to help students understand what you are asking them to do. Seeing it helps. If a student or group of students is having success, allow them to help those who are struggling.
*Let students show their talents! Learn from them yourself and allow other students to learn from them.
9. Plan for the end of the lesson.
Will the students print work? If so, make sure that what is printing has the student's name on it. It is impossible to identify a student's typing. Consider having students print their work by row or section of the room rather than telling all students to print at once. Multiple items in the printer queue can slow the process.
Where will students save work? Consider saving to the server, Google Drive, Office 365, jump drive...etc. Be sure procedures are clear. *REMEMBER, if students are logging on to a computer using Active Directory, any work saved to the desktop will be DELETED upon shutdown.
Have a procedure for saving work in place and remind students how and where to save a few minutes before the end of the computer time so that work will not be lost.
10. Have a procedure in place for logging off and/or shutting down computers. (Fixed) Model this, and have the class follow along to ensure that all students are logged off of the server or other resources and that all machines are shut down, if needed.
Have a procedure in place for logging off and/or shutting down computers and returning them to the cart. (Mobile) Once everyone has logged off and shut down the computers, have a procedure for placing the computers back into the cart in an organized manner. This allows you to account for all machines and quickly plug them back in for recharging.
11. Plan to work around isolated technology problems.Do not be discouraged if a problem occurs that you don't know how to solve. Switching to another computer takes seconds while in depth troubleshooting can be time and focus consuming. Ask for help correcting the problem later or put in a work order to have it fixed before the machine is needed again. Tape a copy of the work order to the machine so that others know about the problem before they begin a lesson using the lab.
12. Have a back-up plan JUST IN CASE the network is down or the power goes out! While these things are rare, they do occasionally happen. Having a back-up plan is always a good idea.
*Prepare a plan, at least in your head, for the worst case scenario - a widespread technology issue.
Planning the procedures for using technology with an entire class can set a positive tone and prevent chaos and frustration. Think about the classroom management challenges in a traditional lesson, and realize that unless you are proactive and plan to address those while the technology is in use, they may be amplified rather than eliminated. Planning procedures, communicating them to students, and consistently following them will set the stage for success.
The procedures that work in your specific classroom will depend on the students, the environment, and the type of device being used.
First, consider expectations for;
cleaning off the workspace
move water bottles
cleanliness (ex. germ-ex, sneeze in elbow, wash hands as needed)
Suggested Procedures
1. Check out the lab! This means reserving the space or equipment at the time needed and making sure that desired machines and software are available. If possible, work through everything you will ask students to do on one of the lab computers to be certain that everything will as expected. *Recognize that student devices do not have the same privileges as a teacher device. As the number of devices increases. This procedure will change. It is possible that students will have assigned computers with them or housed in the classroom and 'reserving' will not be necessary.
*Make notes of the steps and use them as a guide as you instruct students.
2. Plan to model. Have a plan for projecting and explaining the process students are expected to follow.
*Think out loud! Express what you are doing using the vocabulary the students should use. Many schools agree on common vocabulary to provide consistency.
3. Instruct students on appropriate ways to get help. It may be a raised hand is the accepted signal, but remember that when using technology students often want solutions to be offered NOW! Consider using some sort of visual clue alert when a student needs help. Ideas include colored plastic cups at each station They can be stacked to signal status - like green for no help needed, yellow for content help, and red for technology help or slips of colored paper that can be placed wherever you can most easily see them to indicate status.
*Make sure that students understand, procedures, rules, expectations, and the Acceptable Use Policy including the consequences for not following them.
*Give all students a chance to use technology.
*If technology is used correctly, it is an integral part of the lesson and not to be withheld from a child as a general behavior consequence nor as a reward for finishing early!
4. Address internet safety regularly and routinely!
Every student should know what to do when the unexpected happens. Never overreact to an accidental exposure. Eliminate the exposure immediately and then help the student navigate to the desired material.
Example: Immediately close the window and raise hand. Explain to the teacher exactly what was being searched and wait for further instruction. Do not have students describe the inappropriate material.
*Be prepared to help the student refine search terms and find appropriate sites.
5. Find a transition procedure that works! Many teachers who routinely use technology refine the transition process to 30-45 seconds.
Examples:
Consider assigning computers by student number or lining students up in the order you want them to sit in the lab.*Remember, if students cannot work together or near each other in your room, they are not likely to be able to do so productively in the computer lab either!
Pass out computers or have students pick them up from the mobile lab in an organized manner.For the youngest students, a teacher might pass out computers or have the students approach the cart to get them. Older students can follow an organized procedure for picking up or turning in a computer. Clearly communicate the procedure, including the path students should follow to and from the cart and your expectation that the computer will be held firmly with both hands while in transit. You may want to consider no more than 5 students on a side of a cart at a time
*Think about traffic flow. Minimize the need to pass each other in close proximity.
*If you will be working in groups, make group assignments and seating arrangements before distributing the computers. Moving desks with computers on them is a really bad idea. Also, remember that the ability to walk around the room without bumping desks is imperative when there are laptops on every desk!
6. Position yourself so that you can easily see what students are doing as they work (that means the computer screens) and model as necessary. You will need to be on your feet, moving around the room to offer assistance as needed. Always be aware of where you are in the room and what you can and cannot see and do from there. Adjust as necessary to maximize your ability to supervise!
*Be proactive in monitoring for academic, technical, and behavioral problems by moving around the lab as much as possible. It is the teacher's responsibility to monitor student access to computers and the internet.
7. Plan for the length of the lesson or activity. Is it a long or a short lesson?
Sometimes, when using technology, less is more. Students need time to work and finish. Using technology often takes longer and all students will not work at the same pace, nor will they require the same amount or type of help. For long lessons and activities, set some benchmarks to meet along the way to keep students focused and on task and to avoid having them wait until the last minute to get started. Give them objectives to meet as their work progresses.
*Divide the work into manageable parts and celebrate the successful completion of each step with your students.
*Have a planned procedure for slower workers to have adequate time to finish.
*Have a planned procedure for what those who finish before others should do once they have completed their work.
8. Provide rubrics, checklists, and/or samples to help students understand what you are asking them to do. Seeing it helps. If a student or group of students is having success, allow them to help those who are struggling.
*Let students show their talents! Learn from them yourself and allow other students to learn from them.
9. Plan for the end of the lesson.
Will the students print work? If so, make sure that what is printing has the student's name on it. It is impossible to identify a student's typing. Consider having students print their work by row or section of the room rather than telling all students to print at once. Multiple items in the printer queue can slow the process.
Where will students save work? Consider saving to the server, Google Drive, Office 365, jump drive...etc. Be sure procedures are clear. *REMEMBER, if students are logging on to a computer using Active Directory, any work saved to the desktop will be DELETED upon shutdown.
Have a procedure for saving work in place and remind students how and where to save a few minutes before the end of the computer time so that work will not be lost.
10. Have a procedure in place for logging off and/or shutting down computers. (Fixed) Model this, and have the class follow along to ensure that all students are logged off of the server or other resources and that all machines are shut down, if needed.
Have a procedure in place for logging off and/or shutting down computers and returning them to the cart. (Mobile) Once everyone has logged off and shut down the computers, have a procedure for placing the computers back into the cart in an organized manner. This allows you to account for all machines and quickly plug them back in for recharging.
11. Plan to work around isolated technology problems. Do not be discouraged if a problem occurs that you don't know how to solve. Switching to another computer takes seconds while in depth troubleshooting can be time and focus consuming. Ask for help correcting the problem later or put in a work order to have it fixed before the machine is needed again. Tape a copy of the work order to the machine so that others know about the problem before they begin a lesson using the lab.
12. Have a back-up plan JUST IN CASE the network is down or the power goes out! While these things are rare, they do occasionally happen. Having a back-up plan is always a good idea.
*Prepare a plan, at least in your head, for the worst case scenario - a widespread technology issue.